Carlos Dixon tops Real Deal show next week in Kentucky

The Real Deal Boxing and Top Knotch Boxing have announced a new showcase series debuting next Saturday, July 28th at the Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky.

In the main event, The Real Deal Boxing’s own Carlos Dixon (3-0, 1 KO), will look to extend his undefeated record against Florida’s Darel Harris (1-3-1, 1 KO) in a 4 round featherweight bout.

As the most promising prospect in over a decade to come from the boxing crazed home of Muhammad Ali, Dixon is fast becoming a local celebrity in the Louisville area and looks to continue to build his following in his first headlining event.

The co-main event takes place in association with World of Boxing and the WBA Intercontinental Junior Welterweight Title is on the line when Russia’s Batyr Ahkmedov (4-0, 3 KO) takes on Venezuela’s Ismael Barroso (20-2-2, 19 KO). On the fast track to say the least, the power punching Ahkmedov, in only his 5th professional outing, is already taking on a contender and world title challenger in Barroso.

The Real Deal Boxing’s St. Louis’ cruiserweight hopeful, Joshua Temple (6-0, 5 KO) returns to his home away from home in Louisville to face Floridian, Alexander Brunson (2-1, 1 KO) in 6 round action. Temple is coming off two straight dominant victories over undefeated fighters including his last fight on the undercard of the opening round of the Jose Sulaiman WBC World Invitational Tournament.

Alycia Baumgardner (6-0, 4 KO), another Real Deal fighter, is already ranked #3 in the United States and she’s facing the toughest test of her career against Athens, Greece native, Christina Linardatou (9-1, 5 KO) in a 6 round bout. Baumgardner, the WBC International Female Junior Lightweight Champion, who fights out of nearby Fremont, Ohio is becoming a fan favorite in the region and will be putting her title on the line.

In a 6 round welterweight contest, one of Real Deal Boxing’s most promising blue chip prospects, Detroit’s JaNelson Bocachica (10-0, 7 KO) takes on Noel Esqueda (8-5-2, 6 KO) out of Wichita, Kansas. Bocachica is coming off a show stopping victory against his toughest foe to date, Pablo Sanchez (10-2) and wants to prove he’s one of the best young fighters in the Midwest and beyond.

In a 4 round lightweight bout, undefeated Wilfredo Flores (6-0, 2 KO) out of Dunkirk, New York will face an opponent to be named.

This is The Real Deal Boxing’s third visit to Louisville having held their debut show there last June which aired nationally on CBS Sports as well as the first round of The Jose Sulaiman WBC World Invitational Tournament, which saw 8 high level welterweight fighters from around the world face each other at the KFC Yum Center this past April.

“Being the hometown of Muhammad Ali, we felt Louisville was the perfect place for The Real Deal Boxing to branch out into the Midwest.”, explains, Eric Bentley, The Real Deal Boxing’s COO.

“After the success of our first two events there, our company’s debut show and the first round of our flagship event, The WBC Tournament, we knew the timing was right to introduce a re-occuring showcase series based out of Louisville that focuses on regional prospects.”

“In the past year, Louisville has shown that it can compete nationally and internationally in hosting world-class boxing,” says, James Dixon, president and founder of Top Knotch Boxing. “My dream is for Louisville to once again be viewed as a boxing mecca and creating this new showcase series is the next step in making that a reality.”

As co-founder of The Real Deal Boxing and the only 4-time heavyweight champion of the world, Evander Holyfield adds, “The cards we will be putting together in Louisville will showcase blue chip prospects and upcoming fighters from across the Midwest who, in many cases, have been lost in the shuffle. We intend to give them a platform to grow and develop a fan base in their own backyard.”